Apple-Smoked Greek Whole Chicken with Oregano-Garlic Butter

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A whole chicken rubbed under the skin with lemon, garlic and oregano butter, then smoked low and slow over apple wood until the meat is juicy and faintly sweet with smoke. Nine everyday ingredients, one temperature setting, and a two-minute lemon-dill yogurt to spoon over the carved meat. Serve with warm pita or roast potatoes and it feeds the whole table.

Ingredients

• 4.5 lb whole chicken
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 lemons
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 chunks apple wood smoking chunks

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken completely dry inside and out. Sprinkle the kosher salt all over, including inside the cavity, set the bird on a plate and refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour and up to overnight — dry skin is what lets it crisp in a smoker.
2. Mash the softened butter with the grated garlic, dried oregano, black pepper and the finely grated zest of 1 lemon. Slide your fingers under the breast and thigh skin to loosen it, then push about three-quarters of the butter underneath and smear the rest over the outside. Halve the zested lemon and tuck both halves in the cavity, then tie the legs together with kitchen string if you have it.
3. Set your smoker to 275°F (135°C) and add 3 apple wood chunks to the coals or the wood box. Wait until the smoke runs thin and blue rather than thick and white before the chicken goes in — about 15 minutes.
4. Place the chicken breast-side up directly on the grate, close the lid and smoke undisturbed for 90 minutes. Stir the olive oil with the juice of the second lemon and brush it over the whole bird at the 90-minute mark, then close the lid again.
5. Continue smoking for a further 60 to 90 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer shows 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the breast and 175°F (79°C) in the thigh, keeping clear of the bone. Total time is usually 2 1/2 to 3 hours for a 4.5 lb bird.
6. Move the chicken to a board, tent loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile stir the Greek yogurt with the chopped dill, a pinch of salt and a squeeze of juice from the lemon halves pulled out of the cavity.
7. Carve into breast slices, thighs, drumsticks and wings, pour any resting juices from the board over the meat and serve with the lemon-dill yogurt alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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